Automatic shade-roller-controlling means



J. C. SPENCER.'

AUTOMATIC SHADE ROLLER CONTROLLING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-16.1921.

1338,6 39 I Patented Dec. 12,1922.

Jigl- .51 3;

1 Jenn o. srnncnn, or sricnriann,

INDIANA,

Auronmrroisnaniinominn-oon'rnonmneinnards;

Application filed Novemberm, 1921. Seria1li'o 515 ,58 2.

To all whom it may concern: I

Beit known that 1, JOHN C. SPENCER; a

"citizen of the United] States residing at Spicelanchin the-county of Henry and State Indiana, have invented certain new and {useful Improvements in A'Litomatic Shade- Roller-Controlling Means, of which the fol lowing is a specification, reference bein had tion.

I with respectto'its mountin and provide means of this character an actuating member substantially corre-,

"zula iited to engage the roller to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to window" shade fixtures, and. more particularly to automatic means for controlling the movement of a spring actuated shade roller;

It is an object otjthe invention to provide means of this character capable oi": causing rotation of theshade roller upon actuation of the supporting means of the roller. 1

It is another object of the invention to provide means of this character wherein the rod on WlllCll"lll16 spring "actuated shade roller isrotatablymount ed also serves as spending in length to the length of the shade roller and having shade brackets extending therefrom, the rollerbeing rotatably mount- =ed in the brackets,- and grzivity actuated brackets and to normally neveht rotation of theroll'er and to disengage and permit rotatioiiof the roller when theactuating member is moved awaytrom the shade ot tb'e roller by the operator. It i; a 'lurther object of: the invention to provide means of this character including an actuating member on which a spring actumea-ns carried byone ot'said ated shade roller is rotatably mounjtcd,the

actuatingmember and roller being. movable in unison upon adjustment o1"- thecurtain' by the curtain cordand movable independ-h ently of each "otherwhen the curtain cord is substantially locked in its adjusted posi- With these and other objects in view,the invention cous1sts in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to be herein- I a fter more window casing to the securedL; A look adapted to receivethe cord 11, the ing frictihnally engaged with the cord 11 i so that it will Y this means-the Rotatably m ori nted in the particularly described, fully -laime'd an'dillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a View in elevation ot a window shade showing the automatic shade CODtTOlllIlglllQiLHS applied;

t Figure 2 rise side elevation of the structure shown in-Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan and sectional .view of the controlling means, the shadev being removed; c a a I Figure 4; is a section taken on the line 4% of Figure and Figure 5 a detailed viewofthe drum or collar adapted to be engaged by the gravity pawl.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designatesa upper intermediate portion iof which a lock pulleyi bralclret 6 is form is mounted in thebracket. The pulley is adapted 'toreceive'a curtain or shade cord 7 which is connected to the window shade 8. i In order to permit the window shade to he properly balancedand maintaineil at all times in a horizontal position, there is provided a novel reinforcing bar 9 substantially rectangularin cross section, said bar being disposed in I 11 is secured at itsends to the reiniorclng bar 9 through the medium oi. suitablefastening means and cl psl2 to substantially provide a bail One end ofthe cord 7 is provided with alo'op 13 loop be- .not move accidentally. By operator can more the cord 7 relative to the cord 1]. the shade. entire shade-and itslroller may more longi tudinally of thewindow casing to the point desired, whereupon the cord may be moved Ito one side to lock thesame Within the pulbe increased ordecreasedindependently of :the adjustment by the cord 7 there is provided a novel mechanism embodying an actuating bar 14 substantially corresponding in length to the lengthof the shade roller. Secured to each end portion of the bar andprojecting at right angles thereto are brackets 15and 15 pulley of conventional" a pocket 10 formed at one end; a of the'shade- A balance cord v to properly position 7 1th the useotthe cord 7 the In order to' per mitjthe length of the shade to brackets is a Shade,

roller 16 havii'ig the usual activating spring It? disposed in one end thereof, said end 1neluding a stub shaft orpintle having a fiat end portion 18 adapted to extend through a rectangular slot 19 provided'in" the bracket 15. The opposite end portion of the roller 16 is intended to receive a stub shaft 20, the

end portion 21 of said shaft being'liatand provided with an openingz22,wl ilefilisposed between the intermediate portion of the shaft and theoppositeend portion 2-3r is a collar 24, said collar having aplurality-of (the close'dlend so ofthexshade a willbe disposed below the open end of the housing to be spaced openings or recesses25'. .The ,end

portion 2110i. the. stub "shaft 20. is adapted.

inserted in the last nentionedend of the shade rol1er,gsu1table fastening means being passed through the roller and the shade 22 to prevent increment ofrthe stub shaft independently of the roller. .Theend end 'o'f th'e housing 527. The/housing is r adapted to be securedlto the inner face of the promoting. armofthe bracket 15 sub- Q stantially in an. inclined position, i that is,

With ha en: end so that When the actuating bar ismoved downwardly. or away-from and henth'e actuating member ismoved toward and intoengagement withthe shade the open end ot'kthe:sleeve'willbe disposed below the closed end of the housing.

7 The, housing 27 iswintendedlto receive a pawl 81, the diameterof the housing being ghtly greater than :the diameter of the panil so as to permit unobstructed sliding moven'ient of the pawl within the housing. The end 32 of the pawl is lI'GdllGGd and is adapted to extend at timesthrough the open end ot thehousing. The oppositeend oi? the, pawl isintended to engage the closed ienfdof tl1elhousing. Theend 32otithe pawl arranged ,toiextend-:intooneof-theopenngs'ori'eoesses'25 ofthe col-tar arm pro-rent rotation of the collar. Then the shade roller is .in :its -inopera- "tire ,positioin ',the actuating member 114; is d sposed in engagement with the iouter :taee

thefshade andflthe Window cashqgh. When the actuating :member is so positioned the iope'nlenid of the housing .is disposed be- ,Iowithecl0sed end of the housing. At the same timethehousingaisialso inclined ith respectto. the brackets 15 thereby permitshade .8, or in other, words, between having a series tingagravity to urge the pawl 31 into one of the openings 25 oi? the collar 2% to prevent rotation of the roller. roller and permit Winding or unwinding the shade from the roller, a handle 33' is securedtoithe intermediate portion of the actuating member let and adapted to extend beloiv"the*'shade --ro1ie1--1a This handle is grasped fso-as tomove the actuating member away from the shade and downwardly so as toswing the loWer,en-cl ..oftheipawl, or end To release the portion 31, upwardly and permit gravity 1m r the pawltowalfdlthe closed end 3O of the i housing. roller, whereupon the spring{ of the roller This causes release of .the

rotates thesame toincrease or decreasethe .length of the shadeaas.desired- As soon as :tlie-"handle 33 is released -vthe actuating member through the medium ofthe; shade 8 land; spring 17 is immediately swung j'up-- wardly thereby g permitting the pawl 31 to ,descend and. enter One of ftlle. openings .25. p From the foregoing itiwill be readilysseen that this invention provides novel, control- ;ling. means-which. is autom atic i in its I operav tion and hich in View not 7 its. simplicity and novel arrangement will positivelyprevent, accidental zrotationr of theshade rollers and, at the same-time eliminate the necessity oftilting or mov ng theiroller iin order to release (the. same with respect to. its mountings. .In addition to this the actuating member is rdisposed-lbehind-the shade and all that vis [necessary to permit rotation of the roll'er -is .to grasp the handle .33 and vmove the same in the direction desired.

l. Shade controlling means of thecharacteri described comprising (a manually operable member, memben: a spring actuated shade roller having' stub shafts projecting :from the ends thereof. said-shafts being mounted inesalid brackets, 0116:OZE said shafts'having a rratchet collar, said collar having a series; of depres- 1 P 37 a housing-married by one of said brackets, and ;a gravity [pawl shdable in said hous1ng,,sa1d pavvhbemg normally disposed vin a substantially ivertical position and adapted to enter'one otithe depressions oi the collar,Ysaidepawl being adapted to leave said'depression to release the roller upon movement of the -ihracliet carrying 1 the ,liousing "to a substantially :horizontal :position.

' 2. Shade rontrolling means of the char" antern des cribed v.er nnprising manually nperable member. brackets carried by :said

z-meniber, raispringiactuated shade roller rotatablyimountedon said brackets, a ratchet or collar carried by the roller, said collar 20f depressions a housing carried by oneof saidibrackets, said housing ihein'g disposed :oblignely of said bracket and having one end thereof open for the re- :bra'ckets carried by said ception of a, gravity pawl, said pawl being slide toward and into engagement with freely mounted Within the housing, one end the closed end of the housing through the of said pawl being adapted to slide into one medium of gravity upon movement of the 10 of the depressions of the collar through the actuating member away from the shade. medium of gravity upon movement of the In testimony whereof I hereunto aihx my actuating member toward the shade, the signature.

opposite end of said pawl being adapted to JOHN C. SPENCER. 

